Mailbox signal



J. l. FATUR MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed NOV. 13. 1939 Oct. 8, 1940.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE r3 Claims.

My invention relates to a mailbox signal and has for its principalobject the provision of a relatively simple, inexpensive and efficientattachment that may be conveniently applied to practically all forms ofmailboxes now in general use and particularly those boxes employed inthe rural free delivery service and which devices will serve to indicatethat mail matter has been deposited in the box and said signal beingalso effective in indicating that the box owner has placed mail matterin the box to be picked up by the carrier.

A further object of my invention is, to pro- `vide a mailbox signal ofthe character referred `to which in certain of its functions iscontrolled by the door of the box which necessarily must be opened andclosed as mail matt-er is deposited therein and withdrawn therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a sectional View taken vertically through the upper front endportion of a conventional form of mailbox and showing my improved signalapplied thereto and in non-signalling position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the signal in position to indicatethat the carrier has deposited mail matter in the box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a spring clip utilized for holding thespring pressed plunger of the signal in lowered position.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates apreferred embodiment of my invention, I0 designates the wall of aconventional mailbox, which wall is generally formed from sheet metaland provided with a curved or arched top. The front end of this box isclosed by a hinged door II and projecting outwardly from the upper endof the door is a hook I2 that is adapted to be engaged by the fingerswhen the door is opened.

Formed in hook I2 is a transverse depression i3 adapted to receive thedownwardly bent end i4 of a plate I5 that is secured on top of themailbox directly above the center of the opening that is closed by thedoor. Thus when the door II is closed, the bent end I4 of plate I5engages in depression I3 so as to retain the door in closed position.

Secured to the inner face of door II a short distance below the upperend thereof is a horizontally disposed clip I6 having a pair of inwardlyprojecting resilient ngers Il and portions of said fingers near theirfree ends are bent outwardly to form seats I8 for the reception of thelower po-rtion of a plunger hereinafter more fully described.

The lower portion of a tube I9, preferably metal, and which may beapproximately threequarters of an inch in diameter and three or fourinches in length, is reduced in diameter and the reduced portion whichis externally threaded passes through an aperture that is formed throughplate I5 through a coinciding aperture in the top of the mail box andthis tube is rigidly secured to the box by means of a nut 20 that isseated on the threaded portion of the tube that projects into the boxand there being a washer 2I disposed between said nut and the wall ofthe box.

Arranged to slide freely through tube I9 is a plunger 22, the length ofwhich is approximately twice that of the tube I9 and the upper end ofthis plunger is rigidly fixed, preferably by 'riveting or otherwise, tothe inwardly turned upper end of the wall of a tube 23 which functionsas a sleeve that slides lengthwise of the tube I9.

Mounted on the upper portion of the plunger 22 and interposed betweenthe upper end of tube I9 and the inturned upper end of the wall ofsleeve 23 is an expansive coil spring 24.

The upward limit of travel of the plunger 22 and the sleeve carriedthereby may be limited by any suitable means, preferably by a split snapring 22a` formed of resilient metal and which occupies a groove formedin that portion of the head 25 having the largest diameter. This ringwhen expanded to its normal degree is adapted to engage the lower end ofthe tube I9, thus preventing further upward movement of the plunger andthe sleeve carried thereby.

The lower portion of plunger 22 is reduced in diameter and formed on thelower end of said reduced portion is a substantially conical head 25.Formed on the reduced lower end portion of plunger 22 intermediate itsends is a flange 25 having a beveled under face.

The lower half of the external surface of tube I9 is preferably coloredred and the upper half of said surface is distinctively colored,preferably white, in order to perform the desired signalling functions.

The carrier in order to place mail matter in the box must necessarilyopen the door II which is done by pulling outwardly on hook I2 so as todisengage the same from the projecting portion of vplate I5 and in theevent that the lower end of plunger 22 was positioned between thefingers I I of the spring clip I6, said plunger carrying the sleeve 23will, under the iniluence of spring 2li, be moved upwardly to its limitof movement as the door is opened and the spring clip is pulled awayfrom the plunger. Thus the sleeve 23 at its upper limit of movementluncovers and consequently exposes the distinctively colored surface ofthe tube I9 so that the owner of the box by noting the displayed colorsWill understand that mail matter has been delivered tothe box.

The box owner after removing the mail matter deposited in the box by thecarrier closesH the door of the box and then moves sleeve 23 downwardlyto its limit of movementand in so doing the lower portion of the.kplungerZZ is moved downwardly between the resilientiingers of the clipI6 until the ange 2S on the plunger occupies a position beneath theseats I8 and thus, sleeve 23 is retained in its low'errnost position soas to entirely cover the colored surface of tube I9 and under suchconditions the signal is in non-signalling position.

When the door is/subsequently opened by the carrier for the reception ofmail matter, the clip i6 will be disengaged from the lower end of ltheplunger and the latter carrying the sleeve 23 will move upward so as touncover the colored surface of the tube I9` and thereby render thesignal visible.

In the event that thebox owner deposits mail matter in the box to bepicked up by the carrier, the door of the box is opened, the mail matterdeposited in the box, the box closed and sleeve 23 is now engaged andforced part way downward on tube I9 so as to cover the upper portion ofsaid tube which is colored white, thereby exposing only the red coloredportion, thus displaying a signal to the carrier that there is mail tobe picked up from the box.

When the door is closed as just described and the plunger moved part waydownwardthe head n 25 will pass between the resilient lingers I'I andengage beneath the seats I8, thereby holding the v tube in its partiallydepressed position until the door is opened to withdrawthe clip from theplunger whereupon the spring 24 moves said plunger to its upper limit ofmovement.

Thus it will be seen that`I have provided a signal for mailboxes that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and veryeiective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

My improved signalling device is especially applicable for use onmailboxes employed in the rural free delivery service or wherever themailboX is located a considerable distance from the dwelling occupiedyby the boX owner.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved mailbox signaL maybemade and substituted for those herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1.x'I'he combination With a mailbox, its door and a clip carried by andprojecting from the inner face of said door, of a tube secured to thetop of the box adjacent the upper central portion of thedoor, a plungerarranged for sliding movement through said tube, a sleeve. carried bysaid plunger and adapted When said plunger is in lowermost position tocover said tube and there being spaced shoulders formed on the lowerportion of said plunger, which shoulders are adapted to be engaged bythe clip on said door.

2. The combination with a mailbox and its door, cf a tube mounted on topof the mailbox adjacent the upper central portion of the door, a plungerarranged for sliding movement through said tube, a sleeve secured to theupper portion of said plunger and extending downwardly so as to enclosesaid tube, means associated with said plunger for yieldingly resistingits downward movement, there being a shoulder formed on the lowerportion of said plunger and a clip carried by the door of the box andadapted to engage the shoulder on said plunger when the latter has beenmoved downwardly through said sleeve.

3. The combination with a mailbox and its door, of a tube secured to thetop of the box adjacent the upper central portion of said door, aplunger arranged for sliding movement through said tube, a sleevesecured to the upper end of said plunger and adapted when said plungeris moved downward to cover said tube, means associated with the plungerfor yieldingly resisting its downward movement and co-operating means onthe lower portion of said plunger and on the door for engaging saidplunger and holding the same in different lowered positions.

